Are you stressed out? I mean, mentally maxed to the bone to the point where you can’t find a way to stand right side up? The pressures of life seem to be closing in on you by the second? Well, it’s time to change your perspective and get things back on track. Because you can and you need to…

WHAT IS STRESS? – Stress is the body’s natural reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. It is important to know that stress is a part of life. You can experience stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts. Although you can’t avoid it, you can do things to modulate the effects of stress.

Stress should not be ignored. It can play a major part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety. Your body’s natural response to stress is to increase your heart and breathing rates by releasing hormones (we’ll talk about this later), thus giving your brain more oxygen, so you can react faster and smarter to problems. You are better equipped to cope in tough situations.

What are some stressors? – Responsibilities at work and at home; negative life events like divorce or death of a loved one; physical illnesses; and disasters. ‪#‎eatlessmovemore‬‪#‎FatDoc‬

Did you know that exercise is a stress? Well it is. But exercise is a good stress because it is asking your body to respond to forces placed upon it, such as resistance (from weights) and fatigue (from endurance or cardio training).

So what we need to do now is zero our focus on outcomes. So let’s take a closer look at the effects of stress on the body. Stress has an immediate effect on your body. In the short term, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but chronic stress puts your health at risk. ‪#‎eatlessmovemore‬

Some responses to stress include but are not limited to:
Insomnia
High blood pressure
Headache
Erectile dysfunction
Weight gain
Depression
Heart attack
Stroke

So what can you do to turn the tide if you are suffering from distress? Here are three guaranteed ways to make your stress go away.‪#‎eatlessmovemore‬

First – Take a serious chill pill. Look in the mirror and repeat after me: It’s not as bad as you think it is. You’re not as bad as you think you are. Honestly, if you begin to take yourself a little less seriously, things turn around immediately.

Second, you need a stress relieving activity. Sex (ultimate response to negative feelings in the form of pleasure – spouse necessary), or an exercise program that focuses on resistance training that floods the body with endorphins (the feel good chemical) that help to block out the stressful feelings, will do nicely. ‪#‎eatlessmovemore‬

Third – How about the spiritual side of things? Where do you stand? Seriously – you are first a spiritual being having a human experience. You are not the summation of life’s mishaps and troubles. True peace will come from increasing your relationship with God and staying in constant communion with Him. He has embedded within you the purpose and knowledge. You need only to step out in faith, release the negative energy building up inside and walk out the path you are destined to live. The reassurance you need that everything will always be alright for those who are called according to purpose will be more than enough to carry you through any tough time. ‪#‎eatlessmovemore‬

For more on this great topic and for the complete article, please check out my website at www.braxtoncosby.com on 9/25/2015. You’ll be able to access it on the front page, but also feel free to read up on anything else you see of interest. Thanks for stopping by!